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Independent Bookstore Day

Independent Bookstore Day is back, and you’re all invited! Join P&P on Connecticut Avenue for a national day of indie celebration, and be part of the growing movement to shop local. At 10 a.m., bestselling Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson visits with a new cast of characters in The Giant Jumperee, illustrated by award-winning Helen Oxenbury. Be sure to bring the family for what promises to be a lively performance!

Author events for all ages are taking place throughout the day, including Rina Mae Acosta and Michele Hutchison at 1 p.m., Paul Starobinat 3:30 p.m., and Jennifer Finney Boylan at 6 p.m. Bookies are back! Head down to our coffeehouse, The Den, for delicious baked literary treats. One day only, get five free digital audiobooks through our partners at Libro.fm. Visit our audiobook storefront to find out more. Below, book lovers can see some of the the exclusive, collectible IBD merchandise only available from April 29. While supplies last, purchase any IBD item to get a special edition of Rainbow Rowell's Kindred Spirits free. Between us, why not say our store tagline to a bookseller, “So Many Books, So Little Time.” You never know, you might even get a present…

These items will be available for purchase, only from Independent Bookstore Day

Special edition of Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman, $25.95

W.W. Norton is printing a limited run of a special edition of Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman expressly for Independent Bookstore Day. Through Gaiman's deft and witty prose emerge these gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.

The Sandmeyer Reaction Exclusive signed story from Michael Chabon, $6

The second edition in our on-going $6 Stories series is a short story that was cut from Michael Chabon’s newest novel, Moonglow. It’s a hilarious side-story of the half-baked plan to catch a German spy via the well-connected Jews of Philadelphia’s underbelly in the 1940s. In typical Chabon style, it’s fast and funny, and bursting with a cast of perfectly rendered outcasts and oddballs.

A Literary Cocktail Party, $16.99

Welcome to the country’s best literary cocktail party. This fun and useful book contains funny anecdotes and witty stories along with cocktail recipes from some of our favorite writers. Learn to make an Old Fashioned with Daniel Handler; discover Julia Glass’s namesake cocktail, the Julia’s Glass; or just sit back and enjoy the simple pleasure of champagne bubbles with Emma Straub.

Welcome to Night Vale, $24.95

A vinyl edition of the bestselling Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. Based on the tremendously popular podcast of the same name, Night Vale has a huge and ardent fan base. This edition features highlights from the audiobook and exclusive commentary from Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor, and Cecil Baldwin. Beautifully packaged with “flypaper” sleeve, the purple vinyl also includes a full-length digital download of the Welcome to Night Vale audiobook performed by Cecil Baldwin, Dylan Marron, Retta, Thérèse Plummer, and Dan Bittner.

“Lost & Found” original print by Jenny Lawson, $17.99

This original, black and white drawing by Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess, is inspired by her forthcoming activity book You Are Here. The pro-books, pro-reading design is printed on archival, gallery quality paper and can be framed and hung as is or used as a large-format coloring poster. It is not included in the book and will become a must-have for her legions of fans.

A Literary Map of the U.S., $42

The 52 titles featured on this beautiful literary map of the US are an unpredictable mix of modern classics and more obscure novels that create a reading list for America. Each state is represented by a single novel that captures some important essence of its setting. Created by 3Fish Studios, creators of Bookstore Day’s A Literary Map of California and A Literary Map of the Seas.

An Author’s Best Friend Canine Canvas Pouch, $14

This handy 100% cotton canvas zippered pouch (perfect for pencils, make up, cash, and other sundries) features portraits of real author dogs like Sparky Patchett and Jennie Sendak. All hand drawn especially for IBD. Cute!

Literary Condoms, $3.99

These cleverly beautiful literary condoms are perfect counter-top impulse buys. Booksmith in San Francisco developed them for Bookstore Day 2016 and they were so popular we’ve decided to make them available nationwide! Each pack of 12 contains six “Give Me That Darcy” Jane Austen condoms and six “Great Expectations” condoms.

Bad Citizen Stencil, $35

Every year we create our signature “Bad Citizen” Graffiti Stencil to highlight the authors and the words that push us to think, read, and be disruptive when necessary. This year’s stencil features a quote from professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.: CENSORSHIP IS TO ART AS LYNCHING IS TO JUSTICE.

This soft cotton onesie featuring Mo Willems’ wonderful Elephant and Piggie and an encouragement to READ makes the perfect baby gift for bibliophiles.

Child of Books Limited fine art print by Oliver Jeffers, $29.99

Behold a piece of picture book magic. From the acclaimed New York Times bestseller and #1 Indie Next title A Child of Books, Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston offer an exclusive signed fine art print for book lovers of all ages. This lyrical picture book showcasing Jeffers’s elegant images combined with Winston’s typographical landscapes shaped from excerpts of children’s classics inspires readers to create, to question, to explore, and to imagine. All 1000 giclée prints are signed and suitable for framing.

If you can't come to an event and still want an autographed copy of the book, you may purchase titles in advance either in the store, over the phone or through our website.

If you purchase a book and ticket package for one of our co-sponsored events held outside of the store but are unable to attend, we will hold the book at our store for up to six months. If you are unable to pick up the book, please call us to arrange shipping. Although we will make every effort, we cannot guarantee the book will be signed by the author for those customers unable to attend the event.

P&P will try to provide a sign language interpreter for an event, but the request must be made no later than ten days before the event. If we’re unable to secure an interpreter, we will attempt to record the event and prepare a written transcript of it upon request. Please send inquiries to events@politics-prose.com.